Palm Coast, FL – The massive 6’6 and 270 lb. Florida student at Matanzas High School accused of brutally beating his teacher over a Nintendo Switch will be charged as an adult as evidence has emerged showing the teen was arrested three times for battery in 2019.
The alleged perpetrator, 17-year-old Brendan Depa, can be named for the first time after the Seventh Judicial Court of Florida ruled that he would be transferred to adult court. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond according to The Daily Mail.
Depa is facing a felony charge of aggravated battery after allegedly attacking 57-year-old Joan Naydich, a paraprofessional at the school on February 21. People charged with aggravated battery face up to 30 years behind bars.
The beating was so bad that Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said it could have resulted in death.
“This student is just six months shy of age 18, and it was also a brutal attack on this teacher,” said Staly. “Fortunately, this didn’t result in a fatality.”
“This could be a homicide we are talking about.”
The teen has been ordered not to contact Naydich by the court, and he will appear for his arraignment on March 6.
TGP reported last week Depa was arrested after he shoved a teacher’s aide so hard she flew in the air several feet. He then pounded her head into the floor, all because she took his Nintendo Switch away from him during class, according to police. He later spit on the victim and said when he comes back he would kill her according to police.
Video shows Depa charging after the woman, sending her flying across the floor and knocking her unconscious when she landed on her head. Depa then kicked and repeatedly punched the victim in the head and body as she was knocked out until he was dragged away by several school employees and students.
The Flagler Live, a local outlet, also confirmed that court documents show Depa was arrested three previous times back in 2019.
Depa was apprehended in March, April, and again in June that year. The arrests were for simple battery and were categorized as first-degree misdemeanors.
According to The Flagler Live, Depa’s record suggests he was in juvenile custody for a few days the first time. He was soon re-arrested and admitted to what the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) calls “respite care,” which can be the result of different circumstances.
In this case, Depa was held for domestic violence respite care, which the DJJ characterizes as “when the youth being admitted was screened at the JAC [Juvenile Assessment Center] for domestic violence charges and did not score for secure detention, but is unable to be released to family and would otherwise be held in secure detention.”
This likely means Depa’s victim was a close family member.
Hopefully, Depa will receive appropriate justice this time by the legal system so he cannot terrorize any more innocent people.